Empty bobbin supply devices for a bobbin changer for spindle type spinning machines

ABSTRACT

An endless conveyor is arranged along each spindle bank and bears gripping hooks spaced regularly at intervals corresponding to those between the spindles. Each of the hooks can cooperate with a take-up head provided at the upper end of each bobbin. A loading station is arranged to present the take-up head of an empty bobbin to each gripping hook passing it. The empty bobbins are stacked horizontally in a reserve with the take-up heads randomly directed. A distributing device brings the empty bobbins successively from the reserve to a tilting station where the bobbins are represented horizontally. The tilting station has at its two ends, two steps arranged to retain temporarily one empty bobbin by its take-up head, so that all the bobbins leave with their take-up heads upwards. A conveyor belt carries the vertical bobbins towards the loading station of the endless conveyor.

ilnited States Patent 91 Vignon 1 Jan. 23, 1973 [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Heberlein Hispano S.A., Geneva,

Switzerland [22] Filed: March 9, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 122,475

Louis Vignon, Geneva, Switzerland [30] Foreign Application Priority DataUNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1971 Oldershaw ..l98/33 AB Schulz ..l98/33'AD3,367,534 2/1968 Carter ..22l/l72 Primary Examiner-Richard E. AegerterAttorney-Larson, Taylor and Hinds [571 ABSTRACT An endless conveyor isarranged along each spindle bank and bears gripping hooks spacedregularly at intervals corresponding to those between the spindles. Eachof the hooks can cooperate with a take-up head provided at the upper endof each bobbin. A loading station is arranged to present the take-uphead of an empty bobbin to each gripping hook passing it. The emptybobbins are stacked horizontally in a reserve with the take-up headsrandomly directed. A distributing device brings the empty bobbinssuccessively from the reserve to a tilting station where the bobbins arerepresented horizontally. The tilting station has at its two ends, twosteps arranged to retain temporarily one empty bobbin by its take-uphead, so that all the bobbins leave with their take-up heads upwards. Aconveyor belt carries the vertical bobbins towards the loading stationof the endless conveyor.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 2 3 1975 SHEET 2 [IF 3 EMPTYBOBBIN SUPPLY DEVICES FOR A BOBBIN CHANGER FOR SPINDLE TYPE SPINNINGMACHINES The invention relates to empty bobbin supply devices for abobbin changer for spindle type spinning machines, especially forspinning looms, stranding machines, twisting machines, etc. Such abobbin comprises comprises:

an endless conveyor belt arranged along each bank of the spindles andbearing gripping hooks spaced regularly at intervals corresponding tothose of the spindles of the spindle bank, each of these gripping hooksbeing arranged to cooperate with a take-up head provided at the upperend of each bobbin,

and a loading station arranged so as to present, to each gripping hookpassing at its level, the take-up head of an empty bobbin.

In such a changing apparatus, it is necessary to supply the loadingstation with empty bobbins throughout the duration of the operationconsisting of furnishing one run of the endless belt conveyor with emptybobbins;

It is an object of the invention to provide a supply device especiallyadapted for a changing apparatus with an endless belt and grippinghooks.

It is another object of the invention to provide a supply device whoseoperation can be fully automated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a supply device,constituted by mechanical and electrical elements, which is simple andhas high operating reliability. I

The supply device according to the invention takes advantage of theexistence of the take-up head provided at the upper end of each emptybobbin to subject each empty bobbin to tilting which orients it in apredetermined manner.

The supply device according to the invention is characterized by thefact that it comprises in combination a .reserve in which the emptybobbins are stacked horizontally without discrimination as to the sidewheretheir take up heads occur,

a distributing device arranged to bring empty bobbinssuccessively fromthe reserve to the tilting station where these bobbins are presentedhorizontally, this tilting station being equipped, respectively at itstwo ends, with two stops arranged so as to retain provisionally oneempty bobbin by its take-up head, so that all the bobbins leaving thistilting station have their take-up heads upwardly,

and a transfer device for routing the empty bobbins which have left thetilting station towards the loading station of the endless beltconveyor.

The invention will, in any case, be well understood by means of thesupplementary description which follows as well as of the accompanyingdrawings, which supplement and drawings relate to a preferred embodimentof the invention and are of course given purely by way of illustrativeand non-limiting example.

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a supply deviceconstructed according to the invention FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic andpartial view of the supply device as illustrated in FIG. I, thisdiagrammatic and partial view showing in simplified manner theelectrical eonnexions of the various elements of this supply device FIG.3 is a partial section and on a larger scale, of a large portion of thesupply device illustrated in FIG. I 1 and FIG. 4 is a front view of thisportion.

As shown in FIG. I, this spinning machine is a symmetrical machine withtwo spindle banks 2 arranged on both sides of its longitudinal plane ofsymmetry.

The supply device of this textile machine comprises an endless beltconveyor 1 arranged along each of the two spindle banks 2, this endlessbelt conveyor I bearing gripping hooks 3 spaced regularly at intervalscorresponding to those of the spindles of the spindle bank 2, each ofthese gripping hooks 3 being arranged to cooperate with a take-up head 4provided at the upper end of each bobbin 5.

The lower portion of each gripping hook 3 has two horizontal arms, andthe take-up head 4 provided at the upper end of each bobbin 5 isconstituted by a cylindrical pin, coaxial with the bobbin 5, of adiameter less than the separation of the two arms of the gripping hooks3, the said pin ending at a circular head of a diameter greater than thespacing of the two abovesaid arms.

A loading station 6 is then provided, preferably at one of the ends ofthe endless belt conveyor I, this loading station 6 being arranged so asto present, to

each gripping hook 3 passing at its level, the take-up head 4 of anempty bobbin 5.

The hooking of the empty bobbins 5 at the level of this loading station6 is then operated when the endless belt conveyor 1 is actuated in" sucha direction denoted by the arrow F (FIG. I)--- that the gripping hooks 3present their open portion in the direction of this movement. 7

This loading station 6 is supplied with empty bobbins 5 by a supplydevice which comprises the following elements 1 I a reserve 7 in whichthe empty bobbins 5 are stacked horizontally withoutdiscrimination as tothe side where their take-up heads 4 occur,

a distributing device 8 capable of bringing successively empty bobbins 5from the reserve 7 to the tilting station 9 where these bobbins arepresented horizontally, this tilting station 9 being equipped,respectively at its two ends with two stops l0 and 11 arranged so as toretain provisionally an empty bobbin by its take-up head 4, so that allthe bobbinsarriving at the tilting station are retained provisionally bytheir take-up heads 4 cooperating with one or other of the abovesaid.stops 10 or 11 according to the orientation of the bobbin concernedwhich will be then subjected, by gravity, to a tilting movement aroundits take up-head 4 held by one or other of the stops 10 or II of thetilting station 9, all the bobbins leaving this tilting station 9 thenbeing oriented in the same manner,

and a transfer device 12 to route the empty bobbinsS which have left thetilting station 9 towards the loading station 6 of the conveyor 1.

The bobbins leaving the tilting station 9 therefore present all theirtake-up heads 4 upwardly.

The empty bobbins 5 presented at the tilting station 9 are positionedaxially, so that the path of their take-up heads 4 encounterseffectively one or other of the stops rect axial position (FIGS. 1 and4). a

As regards the distributing device 8, it can advantageously beconstituted by a scoop elevator of which the ascending run constitutes alateral wall of the reserve 7 -wall parallel to the axis of the emptybobbins, the tilting station 9 occuring at the upper end of the saidscoop elevator, on the side of the descending run.

To facilitate removal, by gravity, of the empty bobbins leaving thetilting station 9, there are arranged at the two ends of the saidtilting station 9 respectively two extraction ramps 22 and 23cooperating with the two ends of each empty bobbin 5, the upper part ofeach of these extraction ramps 22 and 23 being in the neighborhood ofthe path of the band of the scoop elevator, whilst the lower portion ofthese two extraction ramps 22 and 23 occurs outside the path of thescoops of the said elevator. These scoops'extend therefore only into themiddle portion of the elevator since the two marginal portions mustremain disengaged by I reason of the presence of these two extractionramps 22 and 23 (FIGS. 3 and 4). v

It is then advantageous to arrange the descending run of the scoopelevatorin oblique manner and inclined in the direction which disengagesthe space situated below the said tilting station 9. v

To hold the empty bobbins 5 on the two extraction ramps 22 and 23, twoflexible members 24 and 25 are arranged upstream of the said tiltingstation 9 (FIGS. 3 and 4). a

The most upstream flexible member 24 is constituted by two flexibleblades oriented at about 45, each of which extends to above the tiltingstation 9. The least upstream flexible member 25 is constituted by twosubstantially vertical flexible blades, which are each slightly benttowards the'extraction ramps 22 and 23 at the level of the tiltingstation 9. These flexible blades are fixed on the frame of thedistributing device 8 by their upper end (FIG. 3).

The empty bobbin 5 occurring inthe tilting station 9 will be pushed bythe empty bobbin which follows it and which is itself pushed by thecorresponding scoop whilst being held against the two extraction ramps22 and 23 by the flexible member 24. The first empty bobbin 5 tilts andthe second empty bobbin .5 takes its place, held against the twoextraction ramps 22 and 23 by the flexible member 25.

Achute in the form of an upwardly open V is then arranged below thetilting station 9 to guide the empty bobbins 5 towardsthe transferdevice 12 (FIGS. 1 to 4).

As regards the transfer" device 12, it can advantageously be constitutedby a transporter belt, provided with vertical cavities adapted toreceive an empty bobbin5, the axis AA of this transporter belt beingaligned with the outer run of the endless belt conveyor 1, whilst one ofthe endsof this transporter belt is arranged below one of the ends ofthe said endless belt conveyorl. t

A loading station 6 is then constituted by the hollow of the transferdevice l2 occurring on the path of the endless belt conveyor 1, eachgripping hook 3 being able to hook and extract from its cavity an emptybob- 1 bin 5 (FIGS. land 2). The endless belt conveyor 1 isgenerallyactuated by a continuous movement on the operation of hookingthe empty bobbins 5 by the gripping hooks 3, and, under these conditions(FlG 2), the distributing device 8 is driven by first motor means 27actuated by a relay 28 servocoupled to a first detector member 29(constituted, for example, by a micro-switch) whichstops these firstmotor means 27 when an empty bobbin 5 has tilted in the tilting station9, and the transfer device 12 is driven by second motor means 30actuated by a relay 31 servocoupled to a second detector member 32(constituted, for example, by a micro-switch) which, on one hand, stopsthese second motor means 30 when an empty bobbin 5 is brought to thelevel of the loading station 6, and which, on the other hand, restoresin operation the secondmotor means 30 and the first motor means 27 whenthe empty bobbin 5 situated at the level of the loading station 6 hasbeen hooked by a gripping hook 30f theconveyor 1 and extracted from thevertical cavity constituting the said loading station 6.

At the level of the lower portion of the chute 26 it is preferable toarrange a third detector member 33 (constituted, for example, byaluminous source-photoelectric cell assembly) which stops the first andsecond motor means 27 and 30, and which stops also, through a relay 34,the third motor means 35 which drive the endless conveyor belt 1, whenan empty bobbin 5 occurs accidentally blocked in the lower portion'ofthe chute 26.

When the spinning machine comprises two spindle banks 2 as-has beenassumed, there is provided a single reserve 7, two distributing devices8 arranged symmetrically on both sides of this common reserve 7, and twotransfer devices 12 also arranged symmetrically with respect to thisreserve 7. I

These two distributing devices 8 are constituted by two scoop elevatorsof which the two ascending ones constitute the two lateral walls of thecommon reserve The bottom of the common reserve 7 has the shape of aninverted V widely open downwardly, and a fourth detector member 36(constituted for/example by a pedal actuating a micro-switch) isadvantageously provided to indicate, through an alarm 37, that thecommon reserve no' longer contains a' given number of empty. bobbins 5and that it is then necessary to replenish it. I 1

The'assembly formed by the reserve 7,'the two-distributing devices Bandthe two transfer devices 12, constitute an assembly independent of themachine, and this assembly is mounted on rails to'be displaceable, underthe action of actuating means (constituted for" example by one orseveral pneumatic jacks), between an active position, for which the twoloading stations 6 occur exactly on the path of. the two endless beltconveyors l, and a resting position for which the two loading stations 6occur withdrawn with respect to the path of the two endless beltconveyors 1, this resting position being assumed as soon as the hookingoperation of the empty bobbins 5 is terminated. v

The operationof the bobbin changer constructed as just described is thenas follows.

Before the completion of a series of full bobbins on the two spindlebanks of the machine, the endless belt conveyor is brought into itsposition for which it will proceed with the hooking of empty bobbins,the actuating means to bring the reserve-distributing devicetransferdevice assembly into its active position is operated, the motor means ofthe endless belt conveyor are actuated, which has the effect of causinghooking of the first empty bobbin and starting the first and secondmotor means of the distributing and transfer devices. The process ofhooking the empty bobbins continues until the outer run of the endlessbelt conveyor is provided with empty bobbins, this situation beingdetected by suitable means which cause the arrest of the motor means ofthe said conveyor. The loading station remaining occupied by an emptybobbin, the first and second motor means of the distributor and transferdevices remain arrested. The reserve-distributor device-transfer deviceassembly is then brought back into its resting position.

In conclusion, there is provided a bobbin changing apparatus whoseoperation can be fully automated, this bobbin changing apparatus havinga high reliability of operation since it is constituted by extremelysimple mechanical and electrical elements.

Moreover, the supply device for the bobbin changer can be renderedcompletely independent of the machine itself, and it is possible toenvisage a supply device serving several machines.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein the embodiments described and all such changes and modifications areto be regarded as within the scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

lclaim:

I.'Empty bobbin supply device for a bobbin changer for a spindle typespinning machine having at least one spindle bank, said changercomprising an endless conveyor arranged along each said spindle bank andbearing gripping hooks regularly spaced at intervals corresponding tothose of the spindles of the spindle bank, each of said gripping hooksbeing arranged to be borne by said conveyor into engagement with atake-up head provided at the upper end of each bobbin, and-a loadingstation arranged adjacent said conveyor so as to present the take-uphead of an empty bobbin to each gripping hook passing at its level, saidsupply device comprising in combination a hopper providing a reserve inwhich the empty bobbins are stacked-horizontally without discriminationas to the side where their take-up heads occur,

a distributing device arranged to take the empty bobbins successivelyfrom said reserve, a tilting station to which the bobbins are presentedhorizontally by said distributing device, said tilting station beingequipped, respectively at its two ends, with two stops arranged in thetwo possible paths of the take-up heads through the tilting station soas to retain one empty bobbin temporarily by its take-up head, so thatall the empty bobbins leaving said tilting station are in an erectposition in which they present their take-up heads upwardly,

and a transfer device adapted to convey the empty bobbins which haveleft the tilting station towards the loading station of the endlessconveyor in said erect position.

2. Supply device according to claim 1. comprising two centering rampssituated respectively at the two ends of the tilting station, wherebythe empty bobbins presented to the tilting station are positionedaxially, said ramps cooperating with the two ends of each empty bobbinto bring said bobbins into correct axial position.

3. Supply device according to claim 1, wherein the distributing deviceis constituted by a scoop elevator, the ascending run of said elevatorconstituting one lateral wall of the reserve, and two extraction rampsare arranged at the two ends of the tilting station, said two extractionramps cooperating with the two ends of each empty bobbin, the upper partof each of said extraction ramps being adjacent to the path of the bandof the scoop elevator, whilst the lower parts of said two extractionramps occur outside the path of the scoops of said elevator. I

4. Supply device according to claim 3, including two elastic membersarranged upstream of the tilting station to maintain the empty bobbinson the two extraction ramps.

5. Supply device according to claim 4, wherein the most upstream elasticmember is constituted by two elastic blades oriented at about 45 whicheach extend up to above the tilting station, and the leastupstreamelastic member is constituted by two substantially verticalelastic blades which are each slightly bent towards the extraction rampsat the level of the tilting station.

6. Supply device according to claim I, wherein the transfer device isconstituted by a transporter belt provided with vertical cavitiesadapted to receive an' empty bobbin, the axis of said transporter beltbeing aligned with the outer run of the endless conveyor, whilst one ofthe ends of said transporter belt is arranged below one of the ends ofsaid endless conveyor.

7. Supply device according to claim 1 and adapted to cooperate with abobbin changer in which the endless conveyor is actuated by a continuousmovement on the operation of hooking the empty bobbins by the grippinghooks, wherein the distributing device is driven by first motor'meanscoupled to a first detector member which stops the first motor meanswhen an empty bobbin hastilted into the tilting station, and thetransfer device is driven by second motor means servocoupled to a seconddetector'member which stops said second motor means when an empty bobbinis brought to the level of the loading station, and which restores'intooperation thev second motor means and the first motor means when theempty bobbin has been hooked by a gripping hook of the conveyor.

8. Supply device according to claim 7, wherein a third detector memberis arranged below the tilting station to stop the first and second motormeans and to stop also the third motor means which drive the endlessconveyor, when an empty bobbin occurs accidentally blocked below saidtilting station.

9. Supply device according to claim 1, adapted for a double-bank spindletype spinning machine with spindles'arranged symmetrically with respectto a longitudinal plane of the machine, wherein said supply devicecomprises a common reserve, two distributing devices arrangedsymmetrically on both sides on this common reserve, two tiltingstations, and two transfer devices arranged symmetrically with respectto said common reserve and ending at two loading stations of the endlessconveyors arranged along each of the two abovesaid spindle banks, theassembly formed by the common reserve, the two distributing devices, thetwo tilting stations and the two transfer devices constituting anassembly independent of the spinning machine, said assembly beingmounted movably under the action of control means to be displaceablebetween an active position, for which the two loading stations occurexactly on the path of the two endless conveyors, and a resting positionfor which the loading stations are withdrawn with respect to said path.

10. Supply device according to claim 9, wherein the bottom of the commonreserve has the form of an inverted -V widely open downwardly, and afourth detector is provided to indicate through an alarm, that thecommon reserve no longer contains a given number of empty bobbins andthat it is then necessary to proceed with its refilling.

11. Supply device according to claim 8, adapted for a double-bankspindle type spinning machine with spindles arranged symmetrically withrespect to a longitudinal plane of the machine, wherein said supplydevice comprises a common reserve, two distributing devices arrangedsymmetrically on both sides on this common reserve, two tiltingstations, and two transfer devices arranged symmetrically with respectto said common reserve and ending at two loading stations of the endlessconveyors arranged along each of the two abovesaid spindle banks, theassembly formed by the common reserve, the two distributing devices, thetwo tilting stations and the two transfer devices constituting anassembly independent of the spinning machine, said assembly beingmounted movably under the action of control means to be displaceablebetween an active position, for which the two loading stations occurexactly on the path of the two endless conveyors, and a resting positionfor which the loading stations are withdrawn with respect to said path.

1. Empty bobbin supply device for a bobbin changer for a spindle typespinning machine having at least one spindle bank, said changercomprising an endless conveyor arranged along each said spindle bAnk andbearing gripping hooks regularly spaced at intervals corresponding tothose of the spindles of the spindle bank, each of said gripping hooksbeing arranged to be borne by said conveyor into engagement with atake-up head provided at the upper end of each bobbin, and a loadingstation arranged adjacent said conveyor so as to present the take-uphead of an empty bobbin to each gripping hook passing at its level, saidsupply device comprising in combination : a hopper providing a reservein which the empty bobbins are stacked horizontally withoutdiscrimination as to the side where their take-up heads occur, adistributing device arranged to take the empty bobbins successively fromsaid reserve, a tilting station to which the bobbins are presentedhorizontally by said distributing device, said tilting station beingequipped, respectively at its two ends, with two stops arranged in thetwo possible paths of the take-up heads through the tilting station soas to retain one empty bobbin temporarily by its take-up head, so thatall the empty bobbins leaving said tilting station are in an erectposition in which they present their take-up heads upwardly, and atransfer device adapted to convey the empty bobbins which have left thetilting station towards the loading station of the endless conveyor insaid erect position.
 2. Supply device according to claim 1, comprisingtwo centering ramps situated respectively at the two ends of the tiltingstation, whereby the empty bobbins presented to the tilting station arepositioned axially, said ramps cooperating with the two ends of eachempty bobbin to bring said bobbins into correct axial position. 3.Supply device according to claim 1, wherein the distributing device isconstituted by a scoop elevator, the ascending run of said elevatorconstituting one lateral wall of the reserve, and two extraction rampsare arranged at the two ends of the tilting station, said two extractionramps cooperating with the two ends of each empty bobbin, the upper partof each of said extraction ramps being adjacent to the path of the bandof the scoop elevator, whilst the lower parts of said two extractionramps occur outside the path of the scoops of said elevator.
 4. Supplydevice according to claim 3, including two elastic members arrangedupstream of the tilting station to maintain the empty bobbins on the twoextraction ramps.
 5. Supply device according to claim 4, wherein themost upstream elastic member is constituted by two elastic bladesoriented at about 45* which each extend up to above the tilting station,and the least upstream elastic member is constituted by twosubstantially vertical elastic blades which are each slightly benttowards the extraction ramps at the level of the tilting station. 6.Supply device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device isconstituted by a transporter belt provided with vertical cavitiesadapted to receive an empty bobbin, the axis of said transporter beltbeing aligned with the outer run of the endless conveyor, whilst one ofthe ends of said transporter belt is arranged below one of the ends ofsaid endless conveyor.
 7. Supply device according to claim 1 and adaptedto cooperate with a bobbin changer in which the endless conveyor isactuated by a continuous movement on the operation of hooking the emptybobbins by the gripping hooks, wherein the distributing device is drivenby first motor means coupled to a first detector member which stops thefirst motor means when an empty bobbin has tilted into the tiltingstation, and the transfer device is driven by second motor meansservocoupled to a second detector member which stops said second motormeans when an empty bobbin is brought to the level of the loadingstation, and which restores into operation the second motor means andthe first motor means when the empty bobbin has been hooked by agripping hook of the conveyor.
 8. Supply device according to claim 7,wherein a third detector member is arranged Below the tilting station tostop the first and second motor means and to stop also the third motormeans which drive the endless conveyor, when an empty bobbin occursaccidentally blocked below said tilting station.
 9. Supply deviceaccording to claim 1, adapted for a double-bank spindle type spinningmachine with spindles arranged symmetrically with respect to alongitudinal plane of the machine, wherein said supply device comprisesa common reserve, two distributing devices arranged symmetrically onboth sides on this common reserve, two tilting stations, and twotransfer devices arranged symmetrically with respect to said commonreserve and ending at two loading stations of the endless conveyorsarranged along each of the two abovesaid spindle banks, the assemblyformed by the common reserve, the two distributing devices, the twotilting stations and the two transfer devices constituting an assemblyindependent of the spinning machine, said assembly being mounted movablyunder the action of control means to be displaceable between an activeposition, for which the two loading stations occur exactly on the pathof the two endless conveyors, and a resting position for which theloading stations are withdrawn with respect to said path.
 10. Supplydevice according to claim 9, wherein the bottom of the common reservehas the form of an inverted V widely open downwardly, and a fourthdetector is provided to indicate through an alarm, that the commonreserve no longer contains a given number of empty bobbins and that itis then necessary to proceed with its refilling.
 11. Supply deviceaccording to claim 8, adapted for a double-bank spindle type spinningmachine with spindles arranged symmetrically with respect to alongitudinal plane of the machine, wherein said supply device comprisesa common reserve, two distributing devices arranged symmetrically onboth sides on this common reserve, two tilting stations, and twotransfer devices arranged symmetrically with respect to said commonreserve and ending at two loading stations of the endless conveyorsarranged along each of the two abovesaid spindle banks, the assemblyformed by the common reserve, the two distributing devices, the twotilting stations and the two transfer devices constituting an assemblyindependent of the spinning machine, said assembly being mounted movablyunder the action of control means to be displaceable between an activeposition, for which the two loading stations occur exactly on the pathof the two endless conveyors, and a resting position for which theloading stations are withdrawn with respect to said path.